


Fire in your soul

by ToTheStarsWriting



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Again, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bigotry & Prejudice, Discrimination Against Downworlders, Dragons, I know, M/M, Magnus is a bit extra, Mini soulmate, Not so great parent, Pre-Canon, Protective Alec, Protective Magnus, Racism, Talk of Valentine's beliefs, What's new, adorable little Alec, dragon!Alec, really - Freeform, talk of past discrimination
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:13:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 20,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27168460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToTheStarsWriting/pseuds/ToTheStarsWriting
Summary: It felt like Magnus had been waiting ages for his Mini to finally show up. When it finally does, it's nothing at all like he expected, but maybe there's a chance it might lead him to everything he could've ever wanted.
Relationships: Magnus Bane & Ragnor Fell & Catarina Loss, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 128
Kudos: 577
Collections: Mini soulmates





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [slyvir](https://archiveofourown.org/users/slyvir/gifts).



> This was a gift to a dear friend, and has been a BLAST to write. I hope you enjoy this!

It felt like Magnus had been waiting ages for his Mini to finally show up.

As a child, he’d been taught about Minis just the same as every other child there. His Mama had told him of the soulmate magic that created a living miniature of a person’s soulmate. 

“It’s like a sliver of their soul,” Mama told him, the two of them curled up tight together in her bed. “A piece of them that comes to you, just for you to see. To let you know you’re not alone. They come when your soulmate is around five summers old - a tiny little friend to fit in the palm of your hand. They can’t talk to you with words, but what words do they need when they speak to your heart?”

The whole idea seemed like another of her fairy tales. Yet the thought of someone out there who was perfect, made just for him, helped Magnus feel whole in a world where everyone treated him like he was different.

He’d spent his early years waiting, longing for what others had right there with them, always wondering why it was he didn’t have one when every other kid out there had theirs by the time they were ten. The latest he’d ever seen was fifteen. Yet at the time where even the latest mundane got their Mini, Magnus had already learned that he wasn’t like the rest of them. His Mini – if it came to a demon blooded murderer like him – might take _hundreds_ of years to come.

At the time, that’d been the most terrifying thing he could think of. To have to wait hundreds of years to find out if he was going to have a soulmate.

By the time Magnus hit his twenties, he convinced himself he didn’t care. That he didn’t have to have himself a soulmate or a Mini.

By the time he hit his first century, he’d gotten good at pretending he believed it.

When people asked about it, he brushed it off or ignored them and let them form whatever opinions they were going to. If they thought him a widower, whose soulmate had already died, well, he wasn’t going to take the time to correct them.

When Camille came into his life, Magnus had reached the point where he didn’t often think about a soulmate anymore. He’d met plenty of single people by then who didn’t have their Mini. Either they hadn’t gotten them yet, or they’d already had and lost them – and Magnus was firmly in the camp that he’d rather never get them than have to get a Mini that ended up being a _mundane_ like a few different immortals he’d met. Finding a soulmate only to lose them just a few short decades later? No thank you. 

After Camille, he’d almost completely shut down any part of him that might long for a soulmate. He wasn’t ever going to give anyone that sort of power over him. If Camille, someone who _wasn’t_ his soulmate, was capable of hurting him this much, of breaking him so utterly he wasn’t sure he’d ever recover, why on earth would Magnus give anyone that kind of power over him?

No, life was better without soulmates and Minis and any of that other garbage.

(He didn’t believe himself)

But maybe, if he said it enough times, he finally would.

* * *

The day Magnus woke up to find his Mini started out like quite a few of his other days. He woke up lying in bed, a warm body pressed to his front and one to his back, and the pleasant ache in his muscles that spoke to a night well spent. He had no idea if he was in his bed or someone else’s. There were vague recollections of the two he’d left the club with, and lots of flashes of skin against skin, but… not much about where they’d gone to.

A bit of movement gave Magnus a pretty clear answer. The sheets brushing against his skin were a little rough, not the silk he kept on his bed. That meant either someone else’s house or a hotel. Which left Magnus having to do what Catarina liked to jokingly call the _walk of shame_.

Ragnor would always follow that up with a dry “That would imply Magnus has any shame left in him.”

Smothering a sigh, Magnus blinked open heavy eyes and forced himself to begin the process of waking up and extracting himself from the bed without waking up either of his companions. If he could avoid the annoying morning-after-conversation that would be _great_. Magnus had learned the hard way that a lot of people were fine with the whole ‘no strings attached’ until morning came around.

He shamelessly extended a faint hint of magic over his bedfellows to muffle his sounds and encourage them to stay asleep. Only then did Magnus open his eyes.

When he did, what he found wasn’t quite what he was expecting. Instead of the hand he’d thought was resting on his chest, he found… a dragon?

Magnus blinked his eyes a few times. What the hell had he had last night?

The little dragon watched him, head cocked to the side curiously. It was a tiny thing. Small enough that it could’ve curled up in the palm of his hand. Yet, it was surprisingly sturdy at the same time. It looked like it was made of pure silver. Slender, with a few tiny little spines coming from the hinge of its jaw and the back of its head, ending halfway down its neck.

He might’ve thought it was a well done figurine if it weren’t for the way those sharp, hazel eyes were narrowed on him. That level of intensity couldn't be a part of a figurine.

Either Magnus was still very, very drunk - or high, there’d been a lot of different seelie powders floating around last night - and he was hallucinating a tiny little dragon, or…

No. It had to be a hallucination. Dragons were _extinct_. Every warlock out there knew that.

“Right,” Magnus mumbled, to himself or to the dragon, he wasn’t quite sure. Then, because why not continue talking to his hallucination, he looked at it and politely said, “So, you’re not real, but these two _are_ , and I’d dearly like to get home before they wake up. If you wouldn’t mind moving, please.”

The dragon tilted its head just the slightest bit. Those eyes narrowed a little more, and _oh_ , this little thing was _adorably_ grumpy. The bone over its eyes was a bit prominent, giving it a naturally scowling look.

To Magnus’ surprise, it huffed at him and then stood up, shaking out its wings. They flashed like blades in the morning light before settling once more against his back. Then, with a light, delicate touch, the dragon strolled up Magnus’ chest to his shoulder. It stopped there and sat down. After a moment, it stretched its long, thin neck and turned to give him a look. Magnus swore he could hear the ‘ _Well?’_ that went with it.

Right. Okay. He was being mocked by a tiny little hallucination-dragon. That was new. “I need to go,” he told the dragon again. When it didn’t move, Magnus huffed and shook his head. He had no idea why he bothered trying to get it to move. It wasn’t real anyway.

He reminded himself of that as he finally began the careful process of extracting himself from the bed and his bedfellows.

It took a few minutes for Magnus to get out of the bed. By the time he was done, the two were still asleep, both having rolled toward the center to cuddle in the place where Magnus had been lying only moments ago. They didn’t even seem to notice his absence.

The dragon was nowhere in sight, either, which Magnus was _not_ disappointed by. Nope, not at all.

He ignored the pang in his chest and focused instead on banishing his dirty clothes from the room with a wave of his hand. There was no way he was putting those back on his body. Magnus just opened a portal directly to his bedroom and strode on through. A bath would be in order first, then some clean clothes, and maybe a quick pick-me-up potion to clear out whatever was left in his system.

The familiar comfort of his wards around him had Magnus relaxing a little. He let the portal snap closed behind him, and with it any remaining thought of the people he’d just left behind. This wasn’t the first time Magnus had slipped out of someone’s bed in the early hours of the morning before they could wake up to find he was still there. He preferred it this way.

A snap of his fingers and a wave of magic set the bathtub filling in the master bathroom. By the time Magnus did a quick double-check of his wards to make sure everything was okay, and then made his way to the bathroom, the tub was already full.

It felt heavenly to slip down into the hot water and let his naked body just _sink_. Magnus sighed heavily while he slumped down. His head came to rest on the pillow at the end of the tub, and his arms were up resting on the sides. A lazy snap summoned him a cigarette and lighter, as well as a cup of wine to sit in the little tray beside the tub.

Magnus put the cigarette between his lips and lifted the lighter up toward it. He’d just flicked it on, setting the end alight, when a thin stream of fire came from above him and set half his cigarette on fire.

Thank magic there was no one around to see the way that Magnus let out a sharp yelp. Or how he jumped and flailed, lighter flying into the wall, cigarette dropping down into the water, only to find that there was nothing above him.

At least, not anymore.

In his flailing, it seemed that he’d sent _something_ crashing down into the water. The splash had Magnus’ head jerking back down, his magic already in his hand, ready to attack or defend. What he didn’t expect to find was the small dragon from earlier scrambling to stay afloat in the bathwater right in front of him. Magnus froze, staring with wide eyes at the flailing creature in front of him.

The little dragon made a panicked squeaking noise when its wings sank under, and water from the waves it was creating splashed into its head. That sound was enough to snap Magnus out of his shock. He let go of the magic he’d been holding and quickly reached into the bathwater to cup his hands together and gather up the floundering little dragon. Then he lifted, letting the water drain between his fingers while he drew the dragon upward.

As soon as the water began to drain away, and something solid was beneath its feet, the dragon braced itself on all four feet. Its poor little wings were hanging wet and limp on either side of it. Its tail, which was at least twice as long as its body, gave a wet little flop over the edge of Magnus’ hand.

The little thing looked up at him with a look that was so blatantly offended it took everything Magnus had to hold back a surprised bark of laughter. Judging by how that tiny scowl deepened, he hadn’t done that good a job at hiding his mirth.

“What are you doing here?” Magnus asked, lifting his hands up so that the dragon was right in front of his face. It didn’t seem to be threatening in any way. Aside from that stream of fire, it hadn’t done anything. Except apparently hide in Magnus’ hair somehow and sneak into his loft with him. Somethings his wards should’ve alerted him to – if the dragon was actually real.

The half-burnt cigarette floating in the water nearby had him wondering.

Magnus watched as the dragon straightened up on his palms and gave a tiny little shake that sent its wings and tail flapping. It seemed to mostly have its wings under control, but its tail came up and whapped it in the nose, causing it to draw back with a hiss and a glare. It bared its teeth at its tail as if in warning not to do that again.

The sight had Magnus shaking his head and chuckling. “Either you’re quite an elaborate hallucination, in which case I really need to find out what I took last night, or you’re… something I’m not quite sure of.”

The dragon perked its head up at the sound of Magnus’ voice. Every part of it focused right on him with a laser sharp intensity that was almost as disconcerting as it was kind of flattering.

Magnus couldn’t help but smile. He shifted his left hand enough to curl his thumb in and stroke it over a bit of the dragon’s wing arm. The dragon gave a happy little rumble and pressed its wing up into Magnus’ touch. It let out a happy little trill and that scowling face brightened as if Magnus’ touch was everything it had ever wanted in life.

That thought pinged something in the back of Magnus’ mind. Something that was clearly buried underneath the multitude of other information he’d collected in his four hundred years. “First things first, we should probably clear up a few things, hmm, little one?” Magnus kept his voice gentle because, real or not, the tiny dragon seemed to like it.

A little bit of magic drew the tray over to rest above the bath instead of just sitting beside it. Magnus lifted his hands so that he could carefully set the tiny dragon down on the folded washcloth there.

It jostled a little when Magnus set it down, which served to bring back its scowl. Magnus grinned as he watched the dragon fluff its wings up in what it clearly thought was an intimidating pose. It looked around, then down at the washcloth underneath it, and then back up at Magnus, who was drawing his hands away. Once again, the dragon looked betrayed. Magnus could clearly see the _‘why did you put me down?’_ that was written all over its face.

“My apologies,” Magnus’ grin probably took away from his apology a little. It was hard, though. Despite knowing that he should probably be worried about this, he couldn’t quite bring himself to be. The little thing was far too adorable to be worried about. “Just give me a moment, my dear, to make sure you’re not a product of my very drugged mind.”

The dragon seemed to settle a little when Magnus didn’t try moving away. It shook itself out and watched curiously as Magnus snapped his fingers. When a vial of purple liquid landed in his hand, the dragon perked up a bit, eyes darting over to the vial and nostrils flaring. Its scowl grew even more prominent. Yet it just sat there and watched, waiting, as Magnus uncorked the vial and drank it all down in one go.

The effort not to spit the whole potion back out was immense. No matter what he did when he made it, nothing seemed to make this potion palatable. Every single time it came out tasting _disgusting_. Yet there was nothing more effective at clearing out drugs or alcohol from the system. Magnus had developed the potion years ago after accidentally ingesting a sidhe drink that had left him drugged out of his mind for seven weeks straight. Now, he had something constantly in stock that would clear any and everything out of him in a flash.

It was disorienting to experience, yet effective. Magnus was used to the wash of magic through him and how it left him feeling afterward.

Yet this time, there was none of that. Magnus felt the warmth travel through him, but that was it. There was no change, no weird feeling like his blood had been flushed out of him for a second. And – most importantly of all – the little dragon was still sitting there in front of him. In fact, it was watching him curiously like it, too, was waiting for something to happen.

Well then, okay, that ruled out hallucination. Which would’ve honestly made a whole lot more sense. Now, Magnus had to figure out what on earth this little beauty was, and if it was actually some sort of dragon or if it was something else.

“You can’t be that dangerous,” Magnus said, tilting his head. The dragon echoed the movement. “My wards wouldn’t have let you in if you were a threat. They’re quite good, if I do say so myself. But then again, I’ve never had the opportunity to pit myself against draconic magic, so who’s to say you couldn’t somehow fool it, hm?”

The dragon let out a little trilling sound. It inched closer to the edge of the washcloth – toward Magnus.

He had to quickly dart a hand out to block it from coming closer. “Careful there, darling. You wouldn’t want to fall in again, would you?”

The dragon froze, pressed up against his hand. Then it stretched out its long neck and peeked over Magnus’ fingers to look down at the water. That sharp scowl was back. It blew a quick, short stream of fire at the water before drawing its head back, though it kept the rest of itself pressed against Magnus’ fingers. The dragon looked up at him with a decisive little nod, as if to say he’d taken care of _that_ , and had Magnus noticed?

Nothing could’ve stopped Magnus’ smile from growing. “Yes, yes, you’re quite the little terror, aren’t you? I’m sure the water is well impressed with your ferocity now.”

The dragon tipped its head up, and _oh my_ , Magnus had to fight not to let out a laugh at the way it was so obviously _preening_ now.

With the dragon against his fingers still, it was easy enough for Magnus to let a little bit of his magic swell upward in a silent test to see what exactly he could figure out about this little one.

When his magic made contact, a sharp gasp tore past Magnus’ lips. There was power in this tiny little dragon – _so much_ power. Raw, wild power, the kind of which no warlock would ever dare wield. Very few out there had the strength to even come close to channeling something like that. It was magic of the earth. Creation magic, they called it. The power that fueled everything. The only beings that Magnus had ever felt with magic like this were the magical creatures of the earth. The ones that had been made _from_ it.

Dragons, the history books said, weren’t made _from_ that magic. They _were_ that magic.

“Oh,” Magnus breathed out, soft and low. He knew his eyes were wide, that his mouth had actually dropped open a little, but he couldn’t help it. Nor did he even care. Somehow, someway, there was an _actual_ tiny dragon sitting there in front of him, nuzzling up against his hand and staring up at him with an expression that was clearly worried. A dragon who had apparently decided that it very much wanted to spend time with Magnus, considering it had followed him home.

Where on earth had this little one come from? Dragons were supposed to be extinct! Yet Magnus couldn’t deny the feeling of that old, ancient power packed into this tiny little body.

For the first time in far, far too long, Magnus felt a spark of something _real_ in his chest. An awakening of emotions he’d thought were starting to become dead and buried inside of him. It’d been so long since anything had captured his interest for more than just a moment. More than a quick press of bodies together, chasing down that ephemeral need to _feel_ and _be seen_ that was so hard to come by anymore. Little by little, day by day, Magnus had sworn he’d felt himself calcifying, the most dangerous thing for a warlock.

Looking at this dragon, feeling that power against his own, that place inside of Magnus woke up just a little.

He drew his magic back, no longer actively reaching out to the dragon, yet he replaced that touch with a gentle stroke of his thumb at the dragon’s chin. To his delight, the dragon gave a little shudder and then sank into the touch, its eyes drifting closed. The sound it let out next was almost a _purr_. The little dragon was completely and utterly shameless in its pleasure.

“Do you have a name, little one?” Magnus asked. He wasn’t quite sure if the dragon was actually going to be able to answer him or not. So far, it hadn’t spoken a word, though Magnus was pretty sure the lore he’d read said that dragons could talk. Maybe it was just too young? After all, the dragons he’d read about were all massive. Perhaps the small size meant that this was just a _baby_.

If that were the case, Magnus was definitely going to have to go and check out the house where he’d woken up. He had to make sure that those two hadn’t been holding the dragon there for some reason or another. Not that he thought those two had any capability to do so. They were both werewolves – essentially mundanes, really. They didn’t have the kind of power it would take to keep a dragon with them. Though, if they’d found an egg and it hatched there…

Magnus’ thoughts were interrupted when the dragon nodded at him. It gave no other sign of answering, though, and Magnus huffed out a soft laugh. “So you have a name, but you’re not going to tell me, hm? That’s fine. I’ve been told I have an endless supply of endearments.”

Though… he may not be able to find out the dragon’s name, not yet, but maybe he could find out something else.

All it took was lifting his hand just a little. Little feet came up to curl over Magnus’ finger, making sure he couldn’t go far, which actually helped. It allowed Magnus a quick peek underneath the dragon. Just enough to be able to replace _it_ with _he_. At least, so long as dragons conformed to gender stereotypes.

Magnus looked up at the dragon’s face while he lowered his hand back down. “A little boy, hm?” Better to ask than risk offending or misgendering them. Plus, the dragon had already proved it understood the questions Magnus was asking.

This one got him a flash of sharp teeth in what he realized was a grin, and another head bob.

All right. That was one question answered. Magnus let out another chuckle and shook his head. “Only a thousand more to go.”

Still, they weren’t going to get answered sitting here in the bath. For now, the dragon seemed to be harmless, albeit a bit clingy.

Magnus carefully nudged the dragon back onto the washcloth and then extracted his finger. “You stay there and dry off while I clean up. Then we’ll go step out to my apothecary and see what we can figure out. How does that sound?”

For a moment the dragon just stared at him. It sat up, prim and proper, with its front feet resting on the ground, and studied him with narrowed eyes and a tilted head. After a long pause, the dragon let out a huff of smoke and actually _rolled his eyes_ at Magnus, the _brat_ , before slumping down onto the washcloth. Though it didn’t escape Magnus’ notice that his new friend made sure to stay in a position that would allow him to watch Magnus.

Instead of being bothered by that, Magnus just grinned even more and shook his head all over again.

* * *

Taking the dragon into his apothecary didn’t really do much more. Magnus already knew what he was dealing with – what he didn’t know was where the dragon had come from or why. It wasn’t like the dragon could tell him, nor were there any spells that he could cast on a being that _was_ magic that might tell him anything.

For the most part Magnus had ended up just sort of sitting there with the little dragon on the desk in front of him, trying to figure out what he was going to do next, and what he should call his new friend aside from _little dragon_. The poor thing had a name. Maybe it even a family. Could a dragon egg hatch without its parents there to help it? Magnus had no idea, and he resolved to start brushing up on his knowledge as quick as possible.

The dragon, oblivious to Magnus’ deep thoughts, was occupying himself by exploring the top of Magnus’ desk. As soon as Magnus had set him down here and dried him off, the little one had gone about exploring the space in front of him. He’d already nosed at Magnus’ coffee mug, poked at a jar of pens, and was currently batting at the feather quill that sat in its holder.

Magnus chuckled when the dragon seemed to become fascinated with the feather. He used his tail to poke at it, which made it spin in its place.

There was someone Magnus knew who would likely have quite a bit more knowledge on dragons than he did. He collected knowledge like _he_ was a dragon and books were his hoard. As soon as Magnus had the thought, he pulled out a piece of paper and then reached to steal the quill from the dragon. He grinned as the dragon followed after the quill.

A quick scribble later, a bit of magic, and the fire message was sent. Magnus put the quill back at the same time that he reached out to his wards and made sure to open up them enough for the portal he knew was coming. He smiled down at the dragon that was watching him curiously. “We’ll be having company here in a moment, little one.”

Even with that warning, when the portal opened a moment later just outside the apothecary, it startled the little dragon. He spun around, wings up in a threatening pose, whole body focused on the door. A low rumble started in his chest that only grew louder when Ragnor came striding through the door, his oldest and dearest friend already calling out to him as he did. “This had better not be another of your…”

Ragnor’s words trailed off the instant he was inside the room. There was no ignoring the tiny little dragon growling furiously on the desk. He’d moved over, placing himself between Magnus and Ragnor in a clearly protective gesture that should’ve appeared ludicrous for something of his size. Magnus’ _hand_ was bigger than him! However, Magnus had already felt the magic in that little being, and he knew enough of the lore to know not to underestimate a dragon just because of its age or size.

“Well,” Ragnor said, staring at the clear threat directly in front of him. He stopped and didn’t try and come any closer. “That wasn’t what I was expecting.”

“I did warn you,” Magnus felt the need to point out.

“As if I believe half the nonsense you send to me. It wouldn’t be the first time you made something up just to trick me out of the house.”

He wasn’t wrong. Not that Magnus was going to admit that.

When Ragnor made to take another step forward, the dragon’s growl grew a little louder, and Ragnor froze once more. He looked down at the dragon and then up at Magnus’ face. “Perhaps you can let your little dragon know that I mean them no harm?”

Tempting though it was to tease a little while longer, little curls of smoke were coming from the dragon’s nostrils, and his body hadn’t moved from its defensive posture. Considering how he’d reacted to Magnus’ lighter earlier in the bathtub there was no telling what the young little one might take as a threat. Magnus didn’t actually need his friend barbequed.

Logically, Magnus probably should’ve been a bit concerned for his own safety as he reached his hands out toward the protective little dragon. He wasn’t, though. He didn’t even think about it when he reached out and gently cupped his hands around the tiny little body, completely missing the way Ragnor’s eyes widened and then narrowed down on him as he did.

“Come on, little one.” Magnus lowered his voice until it was edged in a soft coo that he couldn’t quite help. “No attacking the big green man. I promise, he might look scary, but he’s not. He’s no threat to us.”

Silver wings drew inward a little. Then that tiny head, smaller than his thumb, twisted to give a look that asked _Are you sure?_

Magnus smiled and brought the dragon close to his chest. “I warned you we’d be having a guest, didn’t I? Ragnor is a very old, very dear friend of mine. Aside from grumpiness, he’s harmless.”

“Watch who you’re calling old,” Ragnor fired back.

A smirk curved Magnus’ lips. “Be kind, _old friend_ ,” he said, mockingly throwing out the name Ragnor often liked to use for him. “I could always just let him loose again and see what he does.” Still cradling his dragon, Magnus sat back in his chair, lazily crossing one leg over the other as he did and smirking. The little dragon perked up at the change in position. He scrambled forward from Magnus’ hand so he could walk up his leg to sit on his knee, and Magnus took what was probably way too much enjoyment in watching Ragnor lean back a little. But the dragon didn’t go far. Once he reached Magnus’ knee, he perched like a little statue, studying Ragnor curiously.

The way that Ragnor was watching him had Magnus wanting to grin. The man looked like he was torn between berating Magnus for this whole thing and demanding at the same time every bit of information he had. There was no doubt which impulse would win.

Sure enough, Ragnor finally cracked, the need for knowledge winning out over his enjoyment in scolding Magnus. “How on earth did you come across a baby dragon?”

Magnus flashed a bright smile. “Would you believe I woke up with him sitting on my chest?”

Surprise lit up Ragnor’s eyes and sent his eyebrows up. Then he sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. “Unfortunately, yes.” The look he gave Magnus was frustrated and fond all at the same time. A combination that Magnus hadn’t ever seen anyone else quite as capable of as Ragnor was. “You are the only person I know who could do nothing and yet still have a dragon dropped right into your lap.”

“Chest, not lap.”

The little quip was worth it when it had Ragnor rolling his eyes yet again.

The tiny little dragon shuffled his wings and shifted forward a little more on Magnus’ knee. His posture wasn’t anywhere near as threatening as it’d been before. With the way he held his wings, and the stillness of his tail, he looked more _cautious_ than anything else.

Ragnor looked down at him, no longer flinching back in any way from that gaze. “Do you think he’s ready to let me sit down?”

The answer to that was apparently _yes_. The dragon didn’t say anything as Ragnor pulled out the chair opposite them and sank down into it. He just kept watching, and scooting forward little by little.

Despite their teasing, something they did as easily as breathing with one another, Magnus watched cautiously as the little dragon hopped off his knee and down onto the desktop once more. He didn’t actually want Ragnor to be hurt.

But it seemed that the dragon wasn’t in the mood to just attack anymore. He, well… honestly, he reminded Magnus of a child who’d found something new and interesting. He was slowly going toward Ragnor, but not directly. Oh, no. Instead, he began pacing back and forth, side to side, slowly but surely getting closer to Ragnor as he did, all the while pretending to look at other things on the desk. Like it was just _happenstance_ that he was getting closer to Ragnor.

The older warlock must’ve noticed the same thing. He smothered a smile and shot an amused look up at Magnus through his lashes. “It’s very young.”

“He seems to be, yes.”

“And you said you woke up with him on you?”

The two men continued to watch the dragon explore while Magnus launched into a slightly edited version of how he’d woken up to find the dragon on him, as well as what he could remember about where he’d been and who he’d been with. If Ragnor was at all bothered by Magnus’ casual choice in bed partners, he refrained from commenting on it. Most likely because he was too fascinated by the rest of their conversation to focus on anything else.

When Magnus finished, Ragnor sat back, mirroring Magnus’ pose slightly. His elbow on the armrest, and chin in hand, he studied the dragon who had seemingly been distracted from his attempts to get closer to Ragnor by the tumbler of ink that sat near Magnus’ quill. “Most of the lore we have on dragons pertains to their adult forms. Not much is said about their young. From what I’ve read, I got the impression they were rather protective of them. Which was logical, really, considering how they were wiped out later.”

Magnus smothered a wince. He was grateful the dragon seemed to be content poking at the top of the inkwell instead of listening to Ragnor’s words. It felt wrong to talk about what they’d once considered the destruction of an entire species while one of their young was currently wandering around his desk.

A well of rage grew inside of Magnus. One that he was far too familiar with, and practiced at pushing back down. Though he couldn’t quite stop the low “ _Shadowhunters_ ” from hissing past his lips. He said the word like the curse it was.

For all that they were the protectors of the shadow world, they’d been their doom in so many different ways. Maybe shadowhunters had been good once. Magnus could understand the reason they’d been created, and the job that they were supposed to do. _That_ , he could support. But what they’d grown into? What they’d become? The ideals that had been laid down by the angel Raziel all those ages ago had been twisted to suit the minds of prejudiced assholes ever since – as the recent war with Valentine and his people had proved.

Shadowhunters had originally been brought about to defend the world from demons. Slowly but surely that seemed to have become twisted into taking out anything that carried even a hint of demon blood to it – warlocks, werewolves, vampires, seelies.

Not all of them believed that, no, but enough. Enough did. And more still seemed to believe that it was their duty to go above and beyond even that. They weren’t just satisfied with taking out demons and demon-blooded. They went after anything and everything that had an iota of magic that didn’t come from their precious angel.

Dragons had been one of the creatures to suffer the most because of that. They’d been hunted down like _beasts_ and slaughtered. Not all by shadowhunters, no. Magnus was big enough to admit that warlocks had helped in that. Some by choice, some when they were hired. And some of those dragons had _needed_ to be taken down. Just like the rest of them, dragons were as capable of being bad as they were being good. It was just that their power meant they were much more of a danger when they went bad.

But it was shadowhunters who’d pushed and pushed until dragons were gone. Shadowhunters had turned hunting them into a rite of passage – a _sport_. Some of the old families still had bits of dragons hanging up on their walls as trophies. Right alongside the bits of Downworlders they’d cut off and mounted on display.

Magnus’ stomach twisted and he had to fight back a wave of bile. A fierce wave of protectiveness washed over him. Like hell if he would let _anyone_ hunt this tiny, innocent little dragon. He would let _no one_ hurt him.

Ragnor’s thoughts must’ve been following along the same track. When Magnus looked up at him again, his friend’s brows were drawn down and his lips were pressed flat and hidden behind his fingers. To most, he might’ve looked angry. But Magnus knew better. He recognized the worry there. “You’ll need to question your paramours.”

“I know.”

The little dragon put its front feet on the inkwell and lifted itself up, nudging at the top of it with his snout. Then with one foot. When the top popped off, he stumbled back, almost rolling over himself to get away. He landed on his feet, surprisingly, and immediately lowered his head and lifted his wings in a threatening posture. Magnus felt himself smile as he watched the dragon take a few steps forward and _hiss_ at the glass stopper.

When Magnus snuck a look up, he found Ragnor watching with the same sort of fond little grin. It was hard not to smile down at the young dragon.

Magnus’ gaze was drawn back down when the little dragon suddenly leapt forward in a blur of motion. He hit the stopper and curled around it, body and feet, rolling a few times with the weight of it. When they stopped, the dragon was on top, holding it in place and, sweet magic, he was _chewing on it._ Magnus almost cooed at him.

That got a little harder to resist when the dragon, having clearly decided that the threat was dead, got up and carried the stopper proudly over to Magnus like it was some sort of trophy. When Magnus sat forward, hand going out to rest on the desk, the dragon dropped it in his palm and then grinned proudly up at him.

What else could Magnus do but grin back? “Thank you, little one.”

The dragon gave a happy sounding trill. Then it hopped up onto Magnus’ hand and scurried up his arm.

Unlike Magnus, Ragnor didn’t bother holding back his laughter. “I suggest you resign yourself to a new companion,” he said, smirking a little. He watched as the dragon climbed up and settled up in Magnus’ hair – a trait which Magnus mentally resolved to nip in the bud rather quickly. “Dragons were said to only occasionally choose to be around people. But when they did, they often chose one, and refused to be separated from them. More so when that bond is created while they’re young.”

Magnus had known that fact – it was where half the dragon rider stories came from, even if mundanes didn’t quite remember that anymore – but he’d been avoiding thinking about it. “My life is no place for a baby dragon.”

“The war is over, my dear boy. You are no longer running for your life. What risk does your dragon undergo, save perhaps some mental scarring at the things you get up to?”

The last few, mocking words had Magnus shooting his friend a scowl while Ragnor once again laughed, and the little body in Magnus’ hair shifted and settled down.

* * *

Adjusting to having a dragon in his life was a lot easier than Magnus had anticipated. His little one wasn’t a hard companion. He liked to follow Magnus pretty much everywhere – convincing him to stay out of the bathroom was definitely going to be a battle, considering he was small enough to crawl under the door if he wanted to. He was most content when he was somewhere on Magnus’ person. Be that on his shoulder, tucked under the back of his shirt collar, twined around his wrist and fingers, or hiding in his hair.

So far convincing him to stay out of Magnus’ hair hadn’t worked out all that well. But Magnus had too many horrifying images of his little one snorting or giving a small flame and igniting the product that Magnus put in his hair to spike it up the way he liked.

Those little things aside, they moved together quite well. Magnus honestly found he _enjoyed_ having the small dragon with him. It gave him someone to talk to during the day when his life wasn’t kept busy by business as the High Warlock, or his actual business with the club, or his other business with clients. Little One – the nickname he’d taken to calling the dragon by until he could figure out his actual name – didn’t seem to have a problem being hidden in those moments.

In fact, he’d quite smugly proved that ability to Magnus when a client stopped by and, despite Magnus’ warnings to stay out of the way, Little One had come flying in about halfway through. Magnus had been all set to panic until Little One had landed on the desk and the client _hadn’t said a word_.

His cheeky little dragon had been _quite_ smug about that.

All in all, the two were settling in well together, and Magnus was doing his best to try and catch up on dragon lore with the books that Ragnor sent his way. They stuck to the loft as much as was possible until Magnus could figure out how he was going to help keep Little One hidden from anyone who might hurt him – shadowhunters especially. But he should’ve known that keeping Little One hidden entirely wasn’t going to work.

Honestly, it was kind of amazing that it took almost a week before Catarina came by to see them, curious about the new companion Ragnor had spoken of. Then again, Catarina was busy in a lot of post-war recovery visits. Talented warlock healers weren’t all that common, despite what Shadowhunters seemed to think when they hired them. Most could do small things, or lend an extra power to the healing Shadowhunters already had, but a true healer like Catarina? They were rare, and their services highly price.

Quite a few were hiring Catarina in their recovery efforts from the War, and she had a hard time telling them no.

But even with all of that, she still made some time to come and see Magnus and his new companion. She at least sent a message ahead, too, which gave Magnus time to warn his Little One about who was coming. He’d gotten better about guests, not outright guarding Magnus like he had with Ragnor, but he was still both protective and possessive. Two traits that the lore agreed were quite common with dragons and those they claimed as _theirs_.

When Catarina arrived, she took one look at Magnus standing in the doorway, his little dragon once more in his hair, and a wide grin split her face.

Magnus let out a heavy sigh. At the same time, he rolled his eyes and then turned around and walked back into the apartment, leaving her standing there in the doorway. “You might as well come in before you start laughing at me, at least.”

He headed to his drink cart while he listened to her come in and shut the door behind her. “I can’t believe you didn’t call me yourself.”

“Why should I when I knew perfectly well Ragnor would take care of it for me?”

Catarina let out a snort. After that, there was a soft _thump_ as she undoubtedly dropped down onto his couch with her usual lack of grace. “You’re not wrong,” she agreed easily, with just a hint of a laugh showing through in her voice. “I doubt he was home ten minutes before he called me.”

“He _called_ you?”

Now _that_ was surprising. Ragnor was well known for his hatred of cell phones. He was way, way too old fashioned in that sense. He preferred fire messages and _actual letters_. Or he’d just go visit someone if he was really desperate. But despite owning a home phone – he refused to own a cell phone – he rarely ever actually used it. It was one of the ways that Magnus hadn’t been able to drag his friend into the present times.

Catarina accepted the drink that Magnus brought her. As he’d expected, she was seated in the corner of the couch, her legs stretched out along it and her shoes on the floor. Exhaustion showed in every inch of her body. Seeing it, Magnus didn’t hesitate to lift her feet and sit on that end of the couch. The sound she made when he began to rub at her bare foot was practically indecent.

“Yeah,” she finally said, sighing heavily. Her body sank a little more down into the couch with each press of Magnus’ fingers. Eyes at half mast, she watched him, and she gave him a faint smile. “He knew I wasn’t home and didn’t want to spill the beans about your friend around the wrong ears with a visit, so he called me. At least the phones have the anti-listening charm you put on them.”

A little tug at his hair warned Magnus that Little One had decided to peek out once more. The movement not only drew Magnus’ attention. It drew Catarina’s as well. She glanced up at Magnus’ hair.

Clearly his Little One was visible, because Catarina’s face softened into that soft, gentle look he’d seen her wear around babies and very small children. “He wasn’t kidding about his size. I didn’t realize their young started out so very small.”

“There’s not really a lot of research on their young,” Magnus said. He adjusted his hold on her foot, dragging his fingers up toward her toes to push out some of the pressure.

Her next words were cut off on a groan. For a second she tipped her head back, just enjoying the sensation. It wasn’t until he moved his fingers back down a little that she found her voice again. Naturally, it was to tease him.

“I can’t believe you let him ride in your _hair_.” Catarina’s grin was wide enough to crinkle her eyes.

Sighing, Magnus rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t quite stop the fond little smile that curved his lips. “Convincing him to ride elsewhere hasn’t been entirely successful.” Not that it was really that bad. With how small he was, Little One didn’t take up a lot of space up there, and somehow he never really seemed to displace Magnus’ hair. More than once Magnus had looked in a mirror – both with Little One in there and right after he drew him out. There was never anything to show that he’d even been there. Nor had they had any incidents with fire and the product in Magnus’ hair, thank fucking magic.

Catarina hummed. Her eyes were on Little One, yet she still spoke to Magnus. "What's his name?"

"We haven't figured that out yet."

That brought her attention back down to him. Catarina’s eyes snapped down to Magnus’ face, and then her eyebrows went up. He could _feel_ the judgment in that look without her even having to speak.

“I know, I know,” Magnus said quickly, before she could even finish opening her mouth. Just to make sure she couldn’t interject, he once more pressed his thumbs into the arch on her foot, rubbing at the muscle there in a way that had her groaning. It gave Magnus plenty of time to speak up in his own defense. “So far he hasn’t shown any inclination or ability to speak. While I’m sure he understands what I say, and he responds easily enough to some of it, he hasn’t shown any proclivity toward any kind of communication.”

It took a second for Catarina to find her voice again. “Maybe he doesn’t have one yet.”

“I asked if he did, and he nodded at me, but until he finds his voice we’re going to have to treat it like he doesn’t. Or until we find his family.” Sighing, Magnus used a bit of magic to lift his drink up to his mouth so that he didn’t have to let go of Catarina’s foot as he went. He let the burn of the alcohol wash away some of the bitter taste in his mouth. Then he floated the drink back down to the table and focused back on his friend. “I looked around where I found him and spoke to the people there. I didn’t ask outright, just in case, but none of my probing suggests they knew anything about a dragon. Nor are they acting any different since he’s come to stay with me.”

“So you think he found you himself.”

“For some reason or another.”

A soft hum from Catarina was her only answer. For a long moment the two of them stayed there in silence. They just sat there thinking and watching as Little One slowly came out of his hiding spot in Magnus’ hair, moving down to stand on his shoulder. Then he slowly walked down Magnus’ arm until he was close to Catarina’s foot.

He took one soft, delicate sniff, eyes narrowed into that glare he seemed to give everything that wasn’t _Magnus_ , and only Catarina’s quick reflexes saved her from having her toes burnt when Little One sneezed out a burst of flame.

There was a moment where the three of them were frozen in place. Magnus, hands pulled back toward his chest, Catarina, legs curled in, and even Little One was staring where he’d just sneezed like he didn’t quite understand what had just happened.

Then, a low snort erupted from Catarina. When Magnus looked up, he found her covering her mouth, but her eyes were alight with humor overtop her hand. She kept it smothered until she and Magnus locked eyes. There was an instant, just a heartbeat, where the two stared at one another. Then there was no holding it back.

The sound of their laughter echoed around the loft. When Magnus looked down and saw Little One looking up at him with a look that seemed like a cross between happy and annoyed – like he wanted to be upset with Magnus for laughing at him but couldn’t quite help smiling at him instead – it only made Magnus laugh even more.

He drew his arm up and brought the small dragon up toward his face where Little One immediately pressed in to nuzzle against his cheek.

That settled _him_ down, which gave Magnus and Catarina time to settle down as well.

“I can see what Ragnor meant,” Catarina said. Her face was still lit up with her smile, and Magnus said a mental thanks to the little dragon for making her laugh and easing some of that tension that she always carried with her lately. “He really is rather adorable.”

Magnus’ smile grew in response. He pressed his face a little more against Little One, who purred happily. “Of course he is. Aren’t you, Little One?”

“We should see if we can figure out his name. You said you asked him if he had a name – did you offer up suggestions, or did you just move on?”

“I…” Huh. He hadn’t thought of that. It would make sense to do. After all, Little One answered him all the time with shrugs, nods, or headshakes. Why hadn’t he tried to make a guessing game of his name?

The rest of the afternoon was spent with the two going back and forth with Little one happily perched up on Magnus’ knee, occasionally eating the little bits of meat that Magnus conjured for him. Some of the names that they suggested had Little One giving a sharp snort, others had him rolling his eyes, and once he even let out a growling laugh that almost sent him toppling off of Magnus’ leg.

* * *

By the time Catarina left they'd narrowed it down to names that began with A. It’d been Catarina who’d suggested that they try guessing the first letter and at least narrow things down. When she’d offered A and Little One had grinned brightly and nodded, Magnus had been surprised, and Catarina had laughed. “See? Now all we have to do is think of A names!”

They’d tried a few – mostly ones that made them laugh – before it finally became clear that Catarina needed to get home and get to bed, and Magnus knew he needed to go and get ready for his own evening. He’d been avoiding Pandemonium long enough. Whether he liked it or not, he needed to go out tonight and make an appearance. After the war, with everything still so broken and a bit uncertain in their world, it did good for the morale of his warlocks as well as some of the other Downworlders if they saw Magnus out there living the life he’d led before everything went wrong. They needed to see that someone in power was relaxed. It would make it easier for _them_ to relax.

Magnus took Little One into the bathroom with him and set him down on the bathroom counter while he took his own seat at the vanity. There, Magnus started to pull out different bits of makeup and jewelry so he could start to get ready for the night.

He tilted his head, studying his face in the mirror for a moment, and then reached out for the eyeshadow palette he wanted for tonight. As he did, he snuck a look over at Little One, who was poking at the tube of mascara Magnus had set down. “What about Alonso?”

The look Little One shot his way made it clear what he thought of that. Magnus chuckled at him. “Okay, okay, calm down. I know a surprising amount of names that start with an A, so you’ll have to be patient with me as I work through them.” He reached out for the primer, and slanted a look at his Little One as he did. “Anthony?”

Little One huffed and shook his head.

“Asher?”

Another head shake. Little One tugged the eyeliner pen upward, and the whole thing was quite a bit taller than him, yet he didn’t seem bothered by that. He just carried it over to where Magnus was working and carefully laid it down next to the eyeshadow palette. Then he went over to the box Magnus had drawn them out of and lifted himself up to start looking around inside.

Magnus’ next guess – Andre – was met with another headshake, while _Amos, Allen, Alaric,_ and _Alfred_ were all just ignored.

It wasn’t until Magnus was putting the finishing touches on his mascara and giving his eyes one last check that he finally stumbled upon his answer.

At first he didn’t even realize it. He’d only guessed “Alexander” absently while he’d been blinking his eyes and checking if perhaps he needed a bit more mascara on the outer edge. Because of that, he missed the way his dragon companion perked up. He didn’t see anything until suddenly there was a little body clinging to his wrist, tiny nails actually pressing against his skin almost painfully, and Magnus was forced to look down. He found Little One scrambling up to rest on his hand, which still held the mascara brush.

The force with which Little One was nodding excitedly at him was almost enough to send him toppling back down. It took Magnus a second to understand why.

The instant he did, he almost dropped the brush, and his mouth fell open. “Alexander?” he repeated. “That’s your name? Alexander?”

Little One, or Alexander as it would seem, lit up at his words and began to bounce on Magnus’ hand, his wings spread out and a wide, toothy grin on his face.

They’d done it. Without words the two of them had managed to figure out how to communicate enough to figure out the name that his sweet little dragon had. Not just _Little One_ now – _Alexander_. Hearing it, saying it, felt right in ways that Magnus didn’t quite understand.

Magnus was grinning just as wide as _Alexander_ was. He carefully put the mascara brush back into the tube and then drew that hand up so he and Alexander were eye to eye. Then he brought his other hand up so that he could stroke his finger underneath Alexander’s chin in that spot he loved so much. “Well let me say, Alexander. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

He took the happy rumbly-purr he got in return as a _nice to meet you, too_.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took so long, I've been caught up in Nano. I hope you enjoy!!!

It never once occurred to Magnus over the next few years to think that his new companion might be more than what he seemed. Later he would look back and feel embarrassed that it took him so long to actually figure it out. But at the time he never really quite thought about it. Finding a dragon was strange enough on its own. But that he was a _Mini_ never even crossed his mind.

To be fair, his darling Alexander didn’t quite follow the rules of most Minis. He was, first of all, a _dragon_. Magnus had never seen anyone who had an animal as their Mini. Even those that later became werewolves still presented as a human Mini to their soulmate even after their transformation. Because, at their core, that was what they were.

What’s more, most Minis were visible to everyone else. The ones that weren’t were all ones that had magic. Warlocks, sidhe, and other beings such as those. While Magnus knew his little dragon was magic, he was still caught up on him being a dragon and not a person that it didn’t even register as a clue.

In the end, it wasn’t even Magnus that figured it out. It was Catarina.

Granted, it took her years as well, a fact which Magnus would use in his own defense many, many times. Quite a few years. By the time the subject came up, Magnus had had Alexander with him for a little over _ten years._ Though, to be fair, a warlock’s sense of time was quite skewed compared to that of a mortal. What might feel long to others was barely the blink of an eye to them. Ten years was nothing, Catarina would argue with him.

Honestly, they might not have really thought about it at all if it wasn’t for the fat that, during that time Alexander had stayed his small size – something which had begun to worry Magnus.

He and Catarina were discussing it one night when she came over for dinner and drinks. The two were sitting together out on the balcony, sharing a few cocktails while they watched Alexander fly around them and chase the little bugs that had come out with the evening.

“It just worries me a little,” Magnus said, sipping at his cocktail. He was dressed down in some of his most comfortable clothes and curled into his favorite chair, far more relaxed than he would let just anyone see him.

Not that Catarina could ever be categorized as _just anyone_. She’d seen Magnus at his best and his worst and loved him in spite of it all.

She was comfortable as well in sweats and a sweater she’d stolen from Ragnor. Stretched out on the little couch he kept out here, she had her legs crossed at the ankles and a mug of special cider in her hands. She, too, was watching Alexander. “I’ll admit, I expected him to grow, even just a little. But there’s so little out there on young dragons, we don’t know if maybe this is normal for them. Perhaps their long lives might be attributed to a slow physical aging.”

That could very well be. Despite what Magnus had read up on, and that Ragnor had looked into back at the Spiral Labyrinth for him, they’d found very little on young dragons. At most there were occasional mentions of hatchlings. But never any actual information about them. Dragons had guarded their young fiercely.

It just seemed strange to think that maybe staying this small was natural. Especially since all lore indicated that dragons could grow to a _massive_ size.

Catarina gave a low hum, and she tilted her head a little. A furrow built between her brows. “You know, with the fact that he hasn’t grown in size, and his lack of speech, I’ve wondered…”

She paused, and Magnus turned himself a little more toward her. “What?”

“Have you ever thought that maybe… maybe he’s your Mini?”

Wait a second – _what?_ Magnus blinked a few times at her while his brain tried to process her words. After so long of convincing himself that he wasn’t ever going to have a Mini, that he didn’t _need_ one, to have her toss out that idea threw him more than anything else. When the words finally did process, the very first thing that came to mind was: “He’s a dragon!”

Catarina shrugged at that. “We’ve already accepted that dragons aren’t as extinct as we thought they were. Maybe this is why. Maybe they went into hiding as humans so they’d stop being hunted, and they’ve been living in hiding since then. But, since what a Mini shows you is a true piece of your soulmate, he can’t hide from you like this.”

Magnus opened his mouth to protest, to argue how this couldn’t be possible, he didn’t _have_ a Mini, only for the words not to come. Because… what on earth could he say to that? His kneejerk response was that she was wrong. She _had_ to be wrong. Magnus was over four hundred years old and he’d never had a Mini. He’d come to terms with the fact that he wasn’t going to have one. And what was the point in having one anyway? He wasn’t going to be one of those people who fell in love with a mortal soulmate and then spent the rest of their long life grieving. He was happy with his life just the way it was.

But…

Dragons weren’t… they weren’t mortal. Which meant that, if Catarina was right and this Alexander _was_ his Mini, if this was his soulmate, then Magnus had the chance to have a soulmate who might not die so easily. One who would be able to _live_ with him. To stand by his side as the years went past. Someone who was strong enough to help keep them both safe, and yet who Magnus would be able to keep safe in return.

A dragon who could stand at his side, just as strong as he was. Someone who would understand what it meant to have power the way that no one else ever could.

Magnus felt a faint hint of hope stir in his chest. It hurt, in ways he hadn’t let himself hurt in such a very long time. “Can we…” He had to pause for a moment and lick his lips, wet his throat. “Is there any way we can test it?” He didn’t know if he could live with this kind of hope. If he could wonder and wait and not ever be sure, not until they met one another – which could take ages with a being like him who could live for so long. If Alexander _was_ his Mini, how long before Magnus actually met him? A decade? Two? More?

The thought made something deep inside Magnus that he’d thought was long dead give a hard, aching throb.

He looked up, only to find Catarina watching him with a soft, sad look on her face full of a sympathy that Magnus very much didn’t want. “I’m sorry, I don’t know any way to test it.”

Against his will, Magnus found his eyes drifting away from her and up toward the little body flying around them. He stared at his Alexander and felt that hope that he was so desperately trying not to feel come pushing forward again.

The idea of Alexander being his Mini, it… it explained so many things. Why Alexander never spoke, why he never grew, why he’d come to Magnus in a way they’d never been able to explain, and why he never seemed to even think about leaving.

It _made sense_. In ways that nothing else had so far. Magnus felt the truth of it, the _rightness_ , echoing straight down to his soul. Like a part of him was crying out _yes, finally, this one right here, this one is yours._

That would mean that somewhere out there right now Magnus’ soulmate was waiting for him. A dragon potentially hiding out as a human with a little Mini of Magnus, the truest parts of him laid bare for someone to cherish and love.

No matter how old Magnus got, or how much he tried to pretend that soulmates didn’t matter to him, there was always going to be a part of him that still felt like that small boy lying in bed with Mama, full of awe and hope at the idea of someone out there who would love him for who he was, no matter what.

Magnus wasn’t naïve enough anymore to believe that someone was going to just automatically love him all because some bit of fate or destiny or magic said so. He’d seen soulmates that didn’t work out. Soulmates who rejected one another, who woke up one morning to find the Mini gone from them. Despite what some liked to think nothing out there was perfect – not even soulmate magic. Relationships, they took effort.

But oh, to have the _chance_. To meet someone who was supposed to be perfect for him, to have the chance to _try_ …

Alexander broke from his flight and came toward Magnus as if sensing that something was wrong. In a move that had become almost instinct, Magnus lifted his arm just in time for Alexander to land on it.

The little dragon quickly climbed up Magnus’ arm toward his face. It was what he did every time he thought Magnus was upset. He’d get right up there by him and nuzzle in against his face while he curled his tail partially around Magnus neck. Sometimes he’d lift his wings like he could shield Magnus from the world.

“I’m all right, little one,” Magnus murmured softly.

Alexander gave a soft rumble that was clear disagreement. Then he pushed in closer until his scales rasped over Magnus’ cheek. He hated seeing Magnus upset more than pretty much anything. It didn’t matter why he was upset, or how minor it was, just that he _was_.

Nuzzling in even more, Magnus felt that as that small head tilted a little, and though Magnus couldn’t see, he knew the dragon was glaring over at Catarina. With no visible threat he’d clearly decided that she was reason behind Magnus’ upset.

Thankfully, Catarina knew them too well to be upset by that glare. She just shared a look with Magnus over Alexander’s head, the two of them coming to a silent understanding with just that look.

As Catarina rose and silently made her exit, it left Magnus free to focus on the dragon – his potential _Mini_ – still pressed up against him.

Alexander was hesitant to move away when Magnus brought his hand up for him. Yet, after one last quick nuzzle, he moved onto Magnus’ hand and let himself be lifted and moved away. Though he likely only did it because it allowed them to meet one another’s eyes.

The look on that small face was so full of concern. A fierce sort of concern that promised danger to whoever had been the one to upset him. Alexander was more than a little protective, with an edge of possessiveness to him that Magnus probably should have been annoyed by. Or been amused by, coming from a being so small. Yet it flooded Magnus with a sense of warmth that he had a feeling said quite a lot about him as a person.

Smiling softly, Magnus used his free hand to stroke down Alexander’s side. “There’s no one for you to fight, Alexander. I’m fine.”

Alexander narrowed his eyes and snorted. His _yeah right_ was as clear as if he’d spoken.

It had Magnus chuckling. “I’m _fine_. Catarina simply pointed out something to me I hadn’t quite realized yet. Something which may or may not be true, there’s no real way to tell. Which only makes it all the more… difficult.”

He paused, and took in the curious look Alexander gave him, the way he tilted his head and studied Magnus as if asking him what he was talking about. Up until that moment Magnus hadn’t really stopped to think about how well he could read Alexander. How well he’d _always_ been able to read him. And how well Alexander could read him in return even without the endless chatter Magnus usually provided him with.

Talking to Alexander had become such a common thing for Magnus. He did it all the time. Casual chatter as they sat together in Pandemonium and watched people out on the dance floor. Much to Magnus’ enjoyment, Alexander was a salty, judgmental bitch when the mood struck. He managed to convey quite a bit of that judgment without ever even having to say a word, too.

Magnus talked to him around the loft even more. No one was around there to give him a strange look for talking to what often appeared like _nothing_ to them. Even when Alec chose to be visible he still often hid on some part of Magnus. His hair, his shoulder, draped like a necklace around his neck, or even tucked down into his pocket or in his shirt sometimes when the club got to be too much.

As he looked at the little dragon on his hand now, Magnus sighed and found himself doing what had become almost second nature to him – he told Alexander exactly what was going on.

“Catarina and I were discussing the fact that you haven’t changed at all since the day I first met you,” Magnus told him. “She… she suggested that you might be a Mini.”

Some part of Magnus had been prepared for Alexander to react to that. For him to shake his head or even scoff at the idea. After all, the idea of Magnus having a Mini after all this time, it was _ludicrous_.

So when Alexander looked up at him with that raised eyebrow face that was such a clear _DUH_ it surprised him.

Magnus knew that his mouth was hanging open a little in a rare display of shock, yet he couldn’t quite bring himself under control. Alexander… he wasn’t acting surprised, or curious, or any of those things that Magnus had expected. He was looking at Magnus like he couldn’t quite believe that it’d taken Magnus this long to figure things out.

“You… you knew?” Magnus asked slowly. It wasn’t quite the question he really wanted to ask. Underneath that was his true question – _you’re really my Mini?_

Almost as if Alexander could sense those words, the ones Magnus didn’t dare say, his little glare softened into something much gentler. A kindness that didn’t look like it should’ve been possible on such a naturally annoyed looking face. Somehow, Alexander managed it. Even the hard ridge of his brow – which had only grown more prominent over the years – suddenly took on a gentler air.

The little dragon curled his tail tightly around the hand holding him. The sound Alexander made was something like a soft croon mixed with that familiar growl. It was the sound he pulled out when Magnus woke up from a nightmare. Or when he’d had a bad day and old memories lurked too close to the surface. Countless times Magnus had felt the rumble that went with that sound as it vibrated against his chest, his neck, his hand, whatever part of him Alexander could reach. Alexander had a strong caretaking urge that he never bothered hiding when with Magnus.

Feeling it now drew a soft smile from Magnus despite everything. He found himself bringing Alexander in closer until he could cuddle the little Mini – _my Mini, I actually have a Mini! –_ against his chest. There, Magnus gently held him close, and he let that little flame of hope that he’d kept sheltered for so long finally grow. He had a Mini.

 _He had a Mini_.

* * *

Realizing that his dragon was actually his Mini brought about quite a few changes in Magnus’ life. Despite not knowing when exactly he and his soulmate were going to meet, knowing that he _had_ _one_ meant Magnus needed to prepare himself. Especially since his Mini allowed him even more of a glimpse into his potential soulmate than most got.

First of all, Magnus doubled his research into dragons. He’d done quite a bit when he’d first met Alexander, and made a few accommodations into his life for his little one. But he’d done all that for a small, young dragon. All his research had been into their young. Now, Magnus threw himself wholeheartedly into learning everything about dragons in general so that he could better prepare himself for what kind of changes he might need to make.

Catarina didn’t seem all that pleased by it. “You do realize you don’t have to change your entire life for your soulmate, right? The both of you will have to make changes together. That’s part of making a relationship work,” she pointed out.

Ragnor was a bit more practical about it. “Considering everyone thinks dragons are extinct, it’s pretty safe to bet that he’s been living as a human. That’s what he’s going to be used to.”

As if Magnus was going to force his soulmate to constantly put on an _act_ for him! Just the idea of it was enough to make him scoff at them all.

They didn’t understand. Their soulmates were human. What plans they made, they were to accommodate another person, just the same as everyone else out there. Everyone who had a Mini either ignored it completely until they were smacked in the face with their soulmate, or they planned their life around having a second person in it. Those were the two most common responses Magnus had seen. But they were all building those plans with the idea of another average person.

Magnus wasn’t just making accommodations for a person - he was making them for a _dragon_.

No one could hide all the time. Nor should they have to. Whoever he was, wherever he was, Alexander no doubt spent enough of his life hiding. He deserved to have a safe space where he could be himself.

Sometimes Magnus stared at his little Alexander and worried. Was he somewhere safe? Was he able to hide who he was? Did he ever get a chance to just let go and be himself? Stories and lore put dragons as rather large. Did Alexander have somewhere he could go where he was free to let himself go for a little while? Or did he have to constantly hide?

Those questions were what prompted Magnus’ changes to both his life and his home. Despite the worry that his friends showed, it wasn’t like Magnus was giving up everything about himself. He still went to his club, still hung out with others, still did all his High Warlock duties.

But when he was home, he threw himself into lore research, and countless other projects all geared to make his home as inviting to his soulmate as possible.

The very first thing Magnus did was up the fireproofing spells he’d already put over his loft. He’d put those up in the first place when Alexander kept accidentally setting various things on fire. In fact, he’d gotten quite good at that spell. It was easy to apply it to most everything else.

Extra shields were woven around the loft, too. Magnus had a few layers he wanted to put in to the already existing shields. He kept various types at the ready so that he’d be able to pull them down as necessary. Those had to be adjusted, a few more layers added in, and some incorporated into his main wards that were constantly around the loft.

He sat perched on his desk to do it, legs crossed under him, hands on his knees, and Alexander standing on one hand. The tiny dragon watched curiously as Magnus did his work. They’d discovered years ago that Alexander could see Magnus’ magic even at its most subtle. He liked to watch when Magnus worked on wards.

As Magnus made a new layer, the small dragon tilted his head and studied it curiously, his body language a silent question that Magnus instinctively answered.

“I’m just changing around a few preexisting wards,” he explained. A small twist of his fingers shifted part of the ward, and Magnus smiled faintly. “It’s simple, really. I’m just adapting them a little to suit future needs. I’ve already got some that are sort of, scent blockers I guess you’d call them. They make sure that no one with any sort of extra senses will be able to sense you in any way. Kind of like the personal shielding you put over yourself when we’re out. This just makes sure no one can track you here. But if we’re going to have a much larger version of you, I need the wards to better be able to accommodate that. Not just physically, but magically as well. I want you to be able to relax while you’re here, darling.”

The way Alexander growled happily at him and nuzzled against his stomach made it clear he was grateful for what Magnus was doing.

Changing wards and putting fireproof spells on things were simple enough accommodations to make. As was strengthening the separate wards around his apothecary to make sure that no one with enhanced senses would end up uncomfortable by whatever scents and sounds came out of there.

The next thing, and what Magnus considered the most important of all, was actually a spell that Magnus had to work very, very carefully on. It was also one that, much to his enjoyment, he got quite a bit of remarks on. Though most of those were stunned or mostly mocking remarks.

Ragnor’s face when he found out was something Magnus was going to remember and enjoy for a long, long time.

“You… you turned your building into a TARDIS?” Ragnor asked incredulously.

Grinning broadly, Magnus lounged lazily on the single couch that existed in the massively large room that now sat where once there’d been the apartment across from his.

Magnus owned the entire top floor of his building. The whole penthouse, as it were. Though he’d mostly kept the other half of it as a sort of storage for some things. But owning the whole floor made it easier when he had to randomly pack up and leave. Then he could wrap his magic around the floor and transport it to a different building if need be. A few spells tied into his wards made sure no one ever questioned why a whole extra floor was suddenly on their building.

To make this new spell work, he’d already had a few spells around the floor itself to make sure that it stayed the same size no matter the size of the building he transported it to. For this, he’d just sort of taken that spell and… tweaked it a bit.

“Finding a natural space large enough to house a dragon wasn’t going to happen inside city limits.” Magnus’ smirk grew as he watched Ragnor stare at the magic surrounding the space. It felt good to watch his friend’s reaction. Sometimes there was nothing better than the feeling of showing off, just a little. “So I just...took the space I already had and expanded it.”

That was a rather simplistic explanation for what he’d done. Ragnor had sort of hit the nail on the head when he’d called the room a TARDIS. Much like the famed blue box, the other half of the top floor was suddenly much… bigger on the inside.

The whole process had taken four months, quite a few sleepless nights, a little bit of tricky spellcasting, and some bending of a few different laws of physics and perhaps some of reality. But in the end, Magnus had managed the impossible. He’d expanded the interior of the room without compromising the exterior. He’d created what was essentially a pocket dimension that was more _anchored_ inside a space than _housed_ there.

Plainly speaking, though the room looked the same size as always on the outside, on the inside it was large enough to comfortably house a dragon with some room left over to move around in.

Magnus hadn’t really done much for the inside of it. For the moment he wanted to leave it a little bit blank. Whenever he found Alexander, he wanted to let his soulmate pick out how the room looked. Though he did conjure himself a nice, comfortable couch to sit on. Somewhere he could relax while he watched his Mini fly around in all the open space.

As he sat there, he liked to try and imagine what his Alexander was going to be like. What kind of person he was going to be. How would he want the room decorated? Would he want bright, sparkling colors? Dark, somber ones? Would he be the type to go for grand columns and lavish trim? Or would he prefer something a bit more natural?

From what Magnus knew of his little dragon, and Alexander’s reaction to some of Magnus’ things over the years, if he had to guess he’d lean toward something a bit more mellow than Magnus’ own tastes. Nice things, yes. Alexander did so love the feel of those expensive, silky pillows that Magnus had gotten for him. But he had a tendency to go and choose the more natural of his colors. Warm, earth tones, or the deeper jewel tones.

Magnus was drawn from his contemplating by a dip in the couch as Ragnor sat down beside him. When he looked up, he found his friend watching him with his brows drawn down and a little furrow between them. It was a look Magnus knew well. One that said as clear as words that Ragnor was worrying about him.

“I’m fine,” Magnus said preemptively.

Unfortunately, the worry didn’t fade off of Ragnor’s face. If anything, it deepened. “So you always say. I’ve learned to take that with the proverbial grain of salt.”

“You’re being dramatic. I’m not even doing anything outlandish at the moment.”

Ragnor lifted his eyebrows and raised one hand to gesture around the room. The silent judgment was palpable.

“There’s nothing outlandish about being prepared,” Magnus insisted. And there wasn’t, either! It wasn’t like he was going out and doing something insane. “Everyone sets up their home with their soulmate inside. Now that I know mine is out there…” a thought which _still_ made Magnus slightly giddy inside, even weeks into knowing, “…is it really so surprising that I’m trying to make space for them?”

“There’s making space for them, and then there’s bending the laws of space and reality to create a large space for them to nest inside of.”

He looked so worried, and Magnus studied him carefully, trying to figure out _why_ without having to outright ask. The way that Ragnor said that implied that it was something _bad_ to have created a space like this. But… why? What was wrong with trying to make a space like this for his soulmate? It’d been hard work, sure, but it hadn’t taken anything from Magnus to do it. Just a little time and energy. Nothing that couldn’t be recovered with a couple nights of good sleep and a large steak.

Ragnor’s expression softened all of a sudden. He got that gentle look that he only ever got when they were in private. It was the one that reminded Magnus that Ragnor was older than him, and that he’d seen and done quite a bit more in this world than Magnus had. Very few people out there were capable of making Magnus feel like a child. Yet Ragnor could do it like no other.

“Be careful, my dear.” Ragnor’s voice was as gentle as his look. There was none of this usual snark or mocking in there, as everyone was used to hearing. He lowered his masks in that moment to warn Magnus. “You and I both have seen enough to know that soulmates aren’t always as fated as people believe. I don’t want to see you give away parts of yourself to someone who isn’t going to appreciate them, the way others have done in the past.”

If it’d been anyone else, Magnus might’ve argued that. But, in the face of Ragnor’s honesty, the only thing Magnus could do was nod.

Ragnor proved yet again why Magnus loved him so much. He knew better than to keep on pushing – something which would only cause Magnus to retreat – and instead turned to look at the room around them once more with a faint smirk curving over his lips. “That being said, I’m going to insist you show me before I leave exactly how it was you managed to make this and make it _stable_ , as well as capable of housing living beings without running out of air. I sense no other entrances save for the door, so how do you manage the proper air circulation?”

The next few hours were lost in the kind of in-depth discussion that would’ve left quite a few people in the dust.

Though Magnus still didn’t see the issue with trying to set things up for his soulmate, he understood and respected Ragnor’s concern, and he toned down his efforts once the room was done. After all, there was no need to rush. He had no idea when he was going to finally meet his soulmate. Considering their immortality, it could be a day, a week, a month, a year, a decade, or even a century. There was no telling. All he knew was that, one day, the two of them would meet.

He had no idea that just a few weeks later he and his soulmate would come face to face for the very first time.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a perfectly ordinary day. Something that Magnus would later omit from the story when he shared it with anyone and everyone who would listen. But really, it was just a plain, boring, rainy Tuesday when Magnus met his soulmate.

He wasn’t out of the house for any sort of special reason. The last client meeting he’d gone to had fallen through, it was too early to go to Pandemonium, and he wasn’t in the mood to go back to his loft and sit around doing nothing for a few hours until evening settled in and he had a valid reason to go to his club. So, he took a portal to one of his favorite countries for a casual afternoon of strolling and shopping – Spain.

Walking the streets of Madrid always worked to kill some time. Sure, more often than not Magnus spent what Catarina often called an _absurd amount of money_. But what was the point of having money if not to spend it now and again?

A little glamour made sure that no one could see Alexander. That meant the little Mini was free to take to the sky and fly above and around Magnus through the whole excursion. It did the dragon good to get some freedom and soar in open air. Especially when Magnus picked them up some lunch and then portaled out to his favorite cliffs on a private little spot on the Spanish coast. There, with no one around to see them, and some birds and such for Alexander to play with, the dragon was free to fly and play-hunt to his heart’s content.

Magnus sat back on a blanket and watched Alexander’s antics with a faint smile on his lips. He couldn’t help but wonder if the real-life Alexander ever got a chance to do this. Was his magic strong enough to glamour himself so that he could take to the sky without being seen? It had to be. There were no whispers of any dragons still alive. Magnus should know – he’d dug deep after his Little One had first come into his life. So either the real Alexander’s magic was strong enough to hide him, or he was just very, very careful.

Hopefully it was the first option. If he couldn’t fully glamour himself, that likely meant that he ran a huge risk anytime he went out to fly. Would that make him do it less? Or even _not at all_?

 _Magic_ , Magnus hoped not!

Once again he made the vow to do everything he could to make sure that his Alexander felt safe enough to be free with who he was. That there would be one place on the planet he’d be able to go and just be himself without worry of being caught or hunted.

 _I hope he makes as much concessions for you in his life as you’re making for him in yours,_ Catarina had said with worry when she’d seen some of the changes Magnus had made.

She, like Ragnor, was worried. Worried that Magnus was going to throw himself too deeply into this. Give too much of himself. It was what he had a tendency to do, after all. But… cynical though he tended to be, there was no denying that Magnus was a romantic at heart. He wanted the fairytale that people spoke of. He wanted to meet the one that fate had decided was perfect for him.

Alexander suddenly banked right and came diving straight in for Magnus. He shot forward like a silver arrow tearing through the sky. The sheer speed was enough to have Magnus jerking up, the bit of cheese he’d been picking up long forgotten.

It was habit that had him conjuring the leather bracers on his arms so that he could easily catch Alexander up against him when the dragon got close. Only, Alexander didn’t stay still against his chest. As soon as Magnus caught him, he was pushing up, grumbling and growling in a way that set Magnus on edge. “What is it, Alexander? What’s wrong?”

That question was answered a second later when a loud _whoosh_ sounded. Magnus looked up in just enough time to get knocked backward as the largest dragon he’d ever seen came soaring up the cliffside straight up into the air. The force of the wind it created was enough to send Magnus sprawling backward. He instinctively cradled his Mini against him while his other hand shot out to brace. That was as much thought as he gave to himself, though.

The rest of him was too busy staring up in awe at the absolutely _stunning_ sight above him.

This dragon was – they were _massive_. Yet they were the epitome of grace as they twisted and turned through the sky in moves that stole Magnus’ breath away. Sunlight shone of the silver of their scales like they were made of metal. Or pure adamas.

Magnus sucked in a breath when the dragon spun and he caught a glimpse of their face. A face that he was more than used to seeing, though on a body so much smaller than this one.

 _Alexander_.

That was Alexander, _his_ Alexander, his _soulmate_ , flying out there in the open sky so beautifully.

Shock hit Magnus first, but it was quickly drowned out under the waves of awe that he couldn’t quite let go of. Nor did he see a reason to. Alexander was, he was _stunning_. Magnus had no idea how long he stood there and watched as Alec flew around. There was no real purpose to his flying, no hunt that Magnus could see. The way he moved, the twists and turns that stretched out his wings and served no purpose but to spin him back around again, they were all clearly just for _him_. For the sheer enjoyment of flying. That joy was written in every inch of him.

On one of Alexander’s many twists he seemed to do more than just notice Magnus standing there. He seemed to notice that not only was Magnus there – he was staring at him.

That large figure stuttered a little in one of his swoops. It lacked the grace of all his previous moves. Then, in a move that would’ve left Magnus terrified if he wasn’t so busy being breathless and awed, Alexander twisted his whole body as if he didn’t have any bones and completely spun around to come tearing Magnus’ way with a sharp flap of his wings.

It took two flaps and then Magnus was blown backward once more by the force of the wind as Alexander yanked his body back, wings flashing out to bring him to an almost dead stop. Magic was the only thing that kept Magnus from falling on his ass on the ground once more. He went flying back, magic bracing him and his heels digging little furrows into the ground.

When Magnus finally came to a stop, Alexander had landed on the cliff edge. What had seemed to large before – the wide open space of the clifftop – felt smaller now with Alexander standing there taking up all the space. He settled down and Magnus got the true impression of his size for the first time. Magnus could hardly be blamed for how he stared as he looked Alexander over from the bottom of those claw-tipped-toes up to the very top of his head – a head that Magnus had to tilt his own back to be able to look up at.

Alexander was… he was _massive_. If he wasn’t sitting on his back legs, Magnus was pretty sure he would’ve been able to walk _underneath_ him and probably not even touch his belly. To see him like this when Magnus was so used to seeing the tinier version that fit in the palm of his hand was just, it was something he had no words for.

Ragnor would’ve laughed himself silly if he could’ve seen Magnus in that moment. It wasn’t the smoothest he’d ever been, that was for sure. In fact, it was a moment that Magnus would definitely leave out of the telling later on. No one needed to know that he stood there with his head tilted back and gaped up at the dragon in front of him, lost in those gorgeous hazel eyes. He couldn’t speak. Couldn’t seem to do _anything._

Apparently, that was enough. Alexander lowered his head down so that Magnus didn’t have to strain anymore to look at him. When Magnus followed him down, never once looking away from his face, Alexander’s expression grew even more shocked. It looked so out of place on a head that was large enough to probably be able to eat Magnus with one single bite. “You… you can see me.”

The words were a heavy, rumbly growl that vibrated Magnus’ bones and sent a shiver down his spine. His lips parted on a soft gasp that he couldn’t quite keep in. When his voice finally decided to work, there was only one word he could say. “ _Alexander._ ”

Only, that quickly proved to be a mistake.

Alexander sucked in a sharp breath at the sound of his name. His eyes went wide, and Magnus could easily read the horror there. The _fear_.

He could see what was going to happen just seconds before it did. Yet Magnus was still too slow. He lurched forward, one hand held outward like somehow he was going to be able to stop Alexander from running, only – for something so large Alexander was _fast_. He twisted and dove off the cliffs in what felt like the blink of an eye. The low cry Magnus let out was no doubt lost on the rush of wind made in his passing.

Magnus rushed to the edge of the cliff, desperate to call out. To try and somehow stop him.

He made it just in time to watch as a swirl of silver magic twisted around Alexander moments before he hit the ground. When he landed, it was no longer as a dragon, but as a person. One who quickly darted forward in the sand and seemingly disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Magnus stood there staring down at the sand below for who knew how long. He couldn’t stop himself. His soulmate had been right here in front of him, and now, now he was _gone_. He’d just _vanished_. Teleportation, maybe? There could be no glamour – soulmates couldn’t glamour against one another.

However, it wasn’t the teleportation that kept Magnus where he was, frozen.

What threw him more than anything else was what Magnus was sure he’d seen on that pale skin just seconds before Alexander vanished.

 _Runes_.

* * *

“You think he had _runes_?”

Ragnor’s incredulous question echoed round the kitchen of his home. The two men were in there sharing a pot of tea and some treats that Ragnor had called up.

This was the first place Magnus had been able to think of to go after everything at the cliffs. Whenever things went wrong, whenever something happened that Magnus needed to think about, there was nowhere better to go than to Ragnor. He might be a bit salty in his advice, a bit smug when he proved right, but Magnus trusted him. Right then, there was no one he needed more.

Hands curled tight around his mug, Magnus gave a miserable nod.

The curses Ragnor let free were rather inventive. Any other time and Magnus might’ve been impressed. At the moment it was a little too hard to be impressed with much of anything when Magnus was facing the fact that his soulmate might very well be a Lilith-be-damned _shadowhunter_.

“You’re absolutely sure?” Ragnor asked.

Magnus shot him a dry look. “I think I know what runes look like, my dear. A few hundred years has taught me how to easily pick them out in a crowd.” Better to spot a shadowhunter in advance before they spotted you. Valentine might’ve been the most recent attempt at destroying Downworlders; didn’t mean he was the only one, or that the others didn’t feel the same way. Magnus’ kind had been oppressed by shadowhunters for centuries. And now he was fated to be with one.

A heavy silence fell over the kitchen. Magnus dropped his gaze down to his tea once more and he wished absently there was a bit more alcohol in it.

“You know, you don’t have to be with your soulmate.” Ragnor’s voice was gentle. Calm. Kind, even. He knew how much this meant to Magnus. “You also have no idea what kind of person he is.”

“He’s a shadowhunter,” Magnus spat out, lip curling up a little on that word.

“Yes – and a _dragon_.”

The word hit Magnus like a slap. So far he’d been thinking of his Alexander as a shadowhunter and that was it. Like once he’d seen the runes, he’d forgotten all about the glorious being that he’d seen before that. Having Ragnor point it out to him reminded Magnus that while his soulmate might be a shadowhunter, he was also a dragon. The implications behind that were staggering. A slow creeping horror began to build in Magnus’ chest. There was a reason he’d tried to keep his little Alexander as far away from the sight of shadowhunters as possible.

When Magnus looked up, he found Ragnor watching him. “Just imagine what life is like for him. Knowing their kind, I doubt he’d be able to tell anyone.”

“His family would have to know,” Magnus said slowly. “That’s not something that could be kept secret.”

“Dragons can take human form, as we’ve seen. Who’s to say a dragon didn’t sleep with a shadowhunter and cause this?”

Magnus wasn’t sure which option he wanted more. For there to be a line of dragons in shadowhunters, or for it to be some random thing that the person never knew about?

Either option was preferable over the other one that was creeping up in the back of his mind. Just thinking of _that_ was horrifying. And yet… Magnus pressed his fingers tighter against his mug. He fought hard to keep his voice calm. “You don’t think Valentine…?”

It was no secret the types of experimentation Valentine had done.

Ragnor immediately shook his head. “No. Nothing we ever heard about him suggested he had anything like _dragon blood_ on hand. Or anything else like that. Besides, far too few of his creations survive birth. The most likely outcome would be an affair of some sort. We know shadowhunters think they’re better than mundanes, but you and I also know they’re not above a mundane affair now and again. Or a quick slip between the sheets with a Downworlder when they think they won’t get caught.”

The idea of a dragon hiding as a Downworlder or mundane was far more likely than one living as a shadowhunter.

That would mean that he would’ve grown up alone, though. Unaware of who he truly was or what it meant. How did that work? Had he known from birth? Or was it something that he became aware of later? Clearly nephilim blood still ran in his veins if he was capable of bearing runes.

“Maybe we’re looking at this too narrowly,” Magnus said abruptly. He absently scraped his thumb over the mug as he tried to tease out the thoughts that were swirling around in his head. “Who’s to say that he grew up a shadowhunter? I mean, _I_ wouldn’t choose to hide there, but maybe he did. Maybe he was born a dragon, grew up a dragon, but chose to hide as a human amongst the shadowhunters. The last place anyone would look for his kind.”

“That might make him easier to find. A shadowhunter with no long family lineage. Or, one that appeared out of nowhere. I can reach out to a few I still trust who might be able to point us in the right direction.”

Magnus was tempted to say yes. Anything, to help him find his shadowhunter. He wouldn’t be able to get any answers until he talked to Alexander directly. But at the same time he didn’t want to do anything to draw attention to him and cause him to have to run. “You’ll have to be careful. We don’t want to spook him anymore than he already is.”

“I know how to be discreet, thank you.”

In the meantime, there wasn’t really much that Magnus could do. As he’d said, he didn’t want to draw unwanted attention to his soulmate. They could speculate all they wanted about what Alexander’s story was. But until they found out who he was they would only be able to make guesses. Speculations.

Even then, even if Ragnor did find him, anything they came up with from there would still only be guesses. Magnus wasn't going to find out anything until he had the chance to actually talk to Alec face to face and Alec was willing to tell his story – something that Magnus didn't expect to get right away. A story like he no doubt had was something that was going to have to be _earned_ , soulmate or no.

Being soulmates didn't mean that they were automatically entitled to every part of one another. Magnus knew there were some things in his own past he wasn't going to just divulge right away. But over time, as they grew to know and trust one another? He could see himself doing it.

He just had to meet his soulmate first. Once they met, the rest of it could get figured out.

Determination hardened Magnus' jaw. While he was more than happy to let Ragnor reach out to whatever shadowhunter contacts he had - he was far more connected to the current group of shadowhunters than Magnus was anymore - that didn't mean that Magnus was completely out of the game. He still had plenty he could do.

After all, he knew where Alexander went to fly now. While there was every chance that he might not come back there now that Magnus had been there, there was _also_ a chance that he _might_. If Magnus had to go and wait out there every single day for a few hours, well, it wasn't a hardship. Immortality had taught him how to be patient when it was for something worthwhile.

Meeting Alexander? Meeting his soulmate? That was definitely worthwhile.

* * *

True to his word, Magnus went out to those cliffs each and every afternoon at the exact same time for the next two weeks. He and his Little One would gather up a few things - maybe some translations that needed worked on, or spells that needed practicing, or even small potions or charms that didn't require too much special work to do - and he would sit out on a quilt and just wait.

It was the most productive he'd been in quite a long time. Being there meant that Magnus had plenty of guaranteed work time each day. He went through his translations quickly, made a whole batch of some healing potions for Catarina – she was an amazing healer on her own, but his potion work was better, and she was always more than happy to outsource those to him when necessary.

Magnus knew he was going to have to be in this for the long haul. He didn't think his plan would work right away. Not after how clearly he'd terrified Alexander. Most especially with what he'd learned about Alexander this last time. But he was counting on curiosity or fear or _something_ to encourage him to come back and at least take a look around at things.

In the end, it took far less time than he'd been prepared to give.

One week exactly after the first time Magnus had seen his soulmate out on those Spanish cliffs, he and Alexander met for the second time.

Their meeting wasn't as grand or awe inspiring as the first time around. Magnus was seated on the quilt, a large book open in front of him, held in place by spells that prevented the wind from taking it or turning the pages on him, and a notebook on his lap. He had a picnic basket set off to the side where his Mini was currently hiding out, sleeping, after a rather large lunch. For the most part Magnus was absorbed in his work. He absolutely _hated_ translating old Sumerian. It was a bitch to keep it all straight in his head when he was working with it. So, it held his focus pretty tightly, which he would vehemently deny later on kept him distracted enough for Alexander to sneak up on him. That was purely due to the sneakiness and magic of a dragon, thank you very much.

Magnus didn't hear any footsteps coming toward him. He didn't notice anything until a voice suddenly spoke up from a few feet in front of him, startling him so bad he almost sent his notebook flying. “Are you seriously going to sit out here every day?”

The sound of that voice – low, annoyed, and very much _human_ – had Magnus' head snapping up. He blinked a few times at the sight that met him.

There was no dragon this time around. Instead, there was a human sitting on the very edge of the cliffs, legs folded underneath him and back to the water. A _gorgeous_ man, at that. He was all pale skin, and sharp hazel eyes that looked almost the same as the ones in his dragon form, only minus the slit pupil. Shaggy black hair was blowing messily in the wind. And he was dressed head to toe in shadowhunter gear, with his runes on full display. He _clearly_ wasn't trying to hide it. Not in the least bit. Runes showed on his arms, one on his hand, and a large one on the side of his neck that Magnus felt an immediate, visceral need to lean forward and _bite_.

Dark brows drew down, deepening the glare that Alexander was sending his way, and Magnus realized he still hadn't answered him.

It took just a second for Magnus to remember what it was that Alexander had asked. When he did, a smile curved his lips. “Oh, absolutely. I was willing to come out here and wait however long it took you to come back.”

“What made you think I would?” Alexander shot back.

Magnus shrugged one shoulder as causally as he could. With careful, deliberate movements that were very clearly tracked by suspicious eyes, Magnus folded the notebook closed and then reached down to close the book as well. “I wasn't sure,” he admitted easily. “But I hoped your curiosity would win out over the need to hide.”

The way that Alexander scowled at him probably should've been at least somewhat threatening. After all, Alexander clearly wasn't happy with him, and they didn't know one another. There wasn't really anything stopping him from trying to eat Magnus, or kill him to keep his secret, or anything like that. Magnus wasn't dumb enough to think that Alexander might hold back just because he could possibly have Magnus' Mini somewhere.

But, he just... he didn't. Magnus didn't feel threatened in the least bit. Even his magic was sitting calmly inside of him.

If anything, Magnus sort of wanted to reach out for him. To touch those worry lines sitting in the man's brow. The ones that seemed like they were almost carved there. He wanted to touch and soothe and reassure him that he wasn't here to cause him any trouble. That he wasn't going to hurt him.

Alexander tilted his head and continued to glare at Magnus. “What do you want?”

“Just to see you again,” Magnus hurried to reassure him.

If anything, his words only served to sharpen Alexander's look until it was something even more threatening. “And how exactly is it that you were able to even see me to begin with?”

That question threw Magnus a little. He blinked a few times, and watched Alexander with a bit of shock. Did he really not know? For a second Magnus tried to think of how best to answer that. After only a moment, he decided blunt was the way to go. It seemed to be what Alexander preferred in his own speech so far, and it was what the little Mini always responded best to. It would make sense that this Alexander would as well. “Glamours don't work on soulmates,” Magnus explained in as calm a voice as he could manage. He lifted one hand, gesturing toward his face. “It's why you can see my cat eyes, I would imagine.”

Something akin to surprise flashed across Alexander's face. Before Magnus could worry – did the other man not know they were soulmates? How?? – he was surprised to see a blush briefly darken Alexander's cheeks. It ruined that glare and made him look suddenly younger and so much more _adorable_. “Oh. I thought they were...” He trailed off, that blush going deeper until he ducked his head down and looked away.

It only took a second for Magnus to realize what it was that Alexander must have thought. All he had to do was remember the way Alexander had looked, the way his Little One looked, and he knew. Their slit pupils were just enough alike, Alexander must've thought that there was a chance Magnus was like him. That his soulmate was a dragon, too.

A wave of sympathy washed over Magnus. He knew what it was like to want to have someone like you. To see eyes like yours and yearn to reach out and connect to that other person. _No wonder he wasn’t able to stay away_.

“I'm sorry, Alexander.” Though it wasn't his fault, the fact that this was something Alexander had clearly hoped for left Magnus sorry that he had to disappoint him.

The other man sighed and gave a small shake to his head. When he looked up, the embarrassment was gone from his face, as was most of his glare. Though he still looked serious, his eyes were softer than they had been. “Alec. I, uh, I go by Alec.”

Oh, this boy was unfairly adorable, and he was doing disastrous things to Magnus' heart.

“I don't know, I quite like Alexander,” he couldn’t help but tease. When he was rewarded with the faintest hint of another blush, Magnus grinned. _Too sweet_.

“How... how do you know my name?” Alexander – Alec – blurted out. Judging by the way he twisted his hands together, how he sat up a little straighter, this right here was likely the other reason he'd come out here today.

Not that Magnus could blame him. Even soulmates didn't know one another's names. Since Minis couldn't speak, most people gave their Mini a nickname of some sort. A pet name that Magnus had heard often stuck around once the pair was bonded and the Minis gone.

For Magnus to know Alec’s name, to use it the way he had without even thinking, had probably terrified the other man. It was bad enough to have someone know your name when you didn't know them. But to have them use it while you were in your dragon form – a form Alec had no doubt been hiding for a very long time? Magnus was lucky Alec's response had been to run and not try and take him out then and there. People had killed for less than protecting their hidden identity. _Magnus_ had killed for less.

“Your Mini was delightfully intelligent, and extremely helpful,” Magnus said, smiling softly. He hesitated only a moment before reaching into the picnic basket where Little One was still asleep. Gently, Magnus drew him up out of there, cradling his familiar form in the palm of his hand. The tiny dragon stretched at the movement only to burrow back in and then cuddle up against Magnus’ thumb. Magnus held him close while tilting his hands enough to make sure Alec could see his Mini self. “He doesn’t speak, but he and I played a guessing game.”

The sight of his mini-self seemed to set Alec back. He actually physically leaned away. Then, almost as if he couldn’t resist, he leaned in a little more, eyes narrowing on the sleeping dragon. “You take him places with you?”

“Of course. You don’t?”

Alec hesitated for only a second before he shook his head. “No. He gets a little… aggressive.” Whatever look that put on Magnus’ face had Alec hurrying to speak again, one hand waving in the air like he was trying to wave away his last words. “No, no, not like that! He’s, uh…” Alec bit his lip and lifted a hand to rub sheepishly at the back of his neck. He looked at Magnus, at the curious look Magnus knew he was wearing, and huffed out a sigh. Then he looked up at the sky as he said “He’s a bit overprotective. If he doesn’t like what someone says or does, or if he thinks I’m in danger, or that someone said something offensive, he gets a little… sparky, as Jace puts it.”

The color in Alec's cheeks and the way he wouldn’t look at Magnus made it clear there were a multitude of stories behind those words. Ones Magnus wasn’t quite sure he wanted to hear. Or, that he wanted anyone else to hear.

It took him a moment to remember that Minis with magic – depending on the strength of the warlock – also retained a little of their own magic. Just the thought of what his Mini could’ve done…

“Ah, yes. Well.” This time it was Magnus who actually blushed a little – a rare occurrence. “I’ve been told I tend to be a bit protective of those in my life. When you live as long as I have, you learn to cherish and protect those important to you, for as long as you’re blessed to have them.” Then, because Magnus couldn’t quite help it, he looked up through his lashes and smirked. “You weren’t much better, darling. Within moments of meeting you, you defended me rather valiantly against a bathtub full of water.”

Alec's blush came back even stronger than before. Yet he closed his eyes and sighed like he was resigned to this sort of teasing. Magnus wasn’t sure what kind of resignation that was, if he didn’t mind being teased or if he hated it but was used to it, so he drew back a little. The last thing he wanted to do was offend him and scare him away. Something told him it wouldn’t take much to send Alec scurrying away.

When Magnus didn’t continue teasing him, Alec blinked his eyes back open, and there was a brief second where he narrowed his eyes on Magnus like he wasn’t quite sure what was going on. His nostrils flared just a little, and his head quirked to the side.

Was he using his senses? Magnus hadn’t ever thought about that part of things. Were any of his draconic senses accessible when he was in human form?

He didn’t get the chance to ask. Alec spoke up before he could, and his question completely derailed Magnus’ thoughts.

“What do you want from me?” Alec asked. He’d drawn himself up a little. His muscles were clearly braced for whatever kind of answer he thought Magnus might give.

Only, Magnus had no idea how to answer that. He stared at Alec, unsure, for a long moment. “I…hm.” Drawing his little Alexander in against his chest, Magnus pet over his scales in an absent gesture that helped him sort through his thoughts. He had to push back his instinctive flippant remarks. Alec deserved a better answer than that. Not that he knew what that answer was. “I mean, what does anyone want from their soulmate, really? I just… want a chance.”

“A chance?”

Skepticism sat strong in Alec's voice. Magnus reminded himself that it wasn’t anything personal. Alec didn’t actually know him all that well.

“Yes, a chance,” Magnus repeated. His voice was as easy and nonthreatening as he could make it. “A chance for us to get to know each other and see where this leads. I know that soulmates don’t always match up. Life is so unpredictable, and people change. Things change us. But something, somewhere thought that we would be well matched together, and I’m old enough to know better than to turn my nose up at that kind of potential.”

The way Alec stared at him was like _Magnus_ was the mythical creature. His eyebrows went up with each passing word, and his mouth actually dropped open just slightly. Magnus swore he could see it as Alec physically yanked himself back under control and forced down the shock and _wanting_ that had been there in his eyes. It was heartbreaking to see. What had been done to this poor soul that just the idea of someone wanting to try things with him was enough to stun him? Who had taught him to push that want down so far and so hard?

“You just want to talk?” Alec repeated slowly.

Magnus kept his hands around his little Alexander, but his eyes never left Alec. “That’s it.”

It looked like Alec was about to respond – his mouth open and his face suspicious – when a buzzing sound cut him off. After a short moment of quiet where the two just stared at one another, Alec finally closed his mouth and looked down while he pulled a phone from his pocket. Whatever was on the screen had him locking down. In the blink of an eye he went from a suspicious young man to a closed-off shadowhunter. He looked back up at Magnus with cold eyes. “I have to go.”

Magnus couldn’t help himself. Before Alec could move, he blurted out “Can I see you again?”

For one second Alec stayed still, one hand braced on the ground, his face already turned toward the water. He didn’t look back at Magnus, but he did say “I come out here every Tuesday afternoon.” Then, without giving Magnus a chance to reply, he twisted his body and dove off the edge of the cliff.

Even though Magnus knew better, had seen him do this in dragon form, he still lurched forward and flung himself at the cliff, magic quivering inside of him, ready to lash out and stop him from falling. But when he reached the edge, Alec was long gone.

Magnus sat back slowly, cradling a disgruntled Alexander to his chest. He looked back at the blanket where his books were waiting for him, and he felt a slow smile start to curve his lips.

It wasn’t a date. Wasn’t even the promise of a potential date. But Alec had given him _something_. He’d come back, he’d listened, and he’d told Magnus when he’d be here again. That was more than Magnus had expected.

His soulmate was amazing, beautiful in both forms, seemingly kind, astonishingly shy, very blunt, and a whole other mess of contradictions that Magnus couldn’t wait to try and figure out.

Drawing his little Alexander in closer, Magnus smiled down at those sleepy hazel eyes. “Good thing I love a challenge, hm?”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading - be sure to let me know what you think!
> 
> And if you'd like to join a Multifandom server on Discord, come hang out [HERE](https://discord.gg/82pvdE39fD) in the Fandom Playhouse with me and a group of amazing people!
> 
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